Stability And Meditation

I have written about meditation before, though not in depth and not on this blog. But meditation is a part of my life and I want to share with you a bit about the why.

What is meditation and why is it an important discipline for me?

Meditation is not really about sitting still and letting the mind go blank, any more than taking a sabbath day is about being idle. Much like Sabbath, it is a way to release the stranglehold life’s everyday worries have on me, or the thrall the world possesses over my imagination.

Meditation is not just an idea of allowing no thoughts whatsoever to enter the mind. Rather, it is about not fixating or purposing to figure out, reason out, explain, understand, conform or compartmentalize anything. It is an opportunity for me to stop trying to play god over my own life, and instead let go, exist, and have that be enough.

Is there a wrong way to meditate? Should I give up if I keep getting easily distracted? (Because it can happen. And it does. Many times.)

Part of the practice of letting go is allowing the self to find its own natural way to center. It’s not first about doing it the way anyone else does it. My advice is to stop looking around. It is okay if some thoughts continue to drift in and out while meditating. The object is to allow those thoughts to pass through without taking hold for weighing or wrestling. It is a pause, much like we pause for prayer, a moment of silence, a day of rest, etc.

Meditation is a posture of humility, rest, and receiving. It is the discipline of being, not proving; seeing, not sorting; staying present, but not insisting the moment be a means to a productive end.

Stability is incomplete unless it is holistic. A stillness of body is not being at rest without a stillness of mind, and vice versa. Stability is knowing that in order to do life well, I need to learn to pause in body and mind if I want to maintain health as a whole-person being. Meditation is one way I pursue holistic wellness.

What about you? Do you practice meditation? I'd love to hear your reasons, even or maybe especially if they vary from my own. It's a fascinating subject. And it's nice to hear of others who practice. Please feel free to share in the comments.